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Journal of Social and Development Sciences (JSDS) Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2021 (ISSN 2221-1152) JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND DEVELOPMENT SCIENCES (JSDS) Vol. 12 No. 1 ISSN 2221-1152 I Journal of Social and Development Sciences (JSDS) Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2021 (ISSN 2221-1152) Editorial Journal of Social and Development Sciences (JSDS) is a scholarly journal that deals with the disciplines of social and development sciences. JSDS publishes research work that meaningfully contributes towards theoretical bases of contemporary developments in society, business and related disciplines. The work submitted for publication consideration in JSDS should address empirical and theoretical contributions in the subjects related to the scope of the journal in particular and allied theories and practices in general. Scope of JSDS includes: sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, political science, international relations, linguistics, history, public relations, hospitality & tourism and project management. Author(s) should declare that work submitted to the journal is original, not under consideration for publication by another journal and that all listed authors approve its submission to JSDS. It is JSDS policy to welcome submissions for consideration, which are original, and not under consideration for publication by another journal at the same time. Author (s) can submit: Research Paper, Conceptual Paper, Case Studies and Book Review. The current issue of JSDS consists of papers of scholars from Ghana, Australia and USA. Effect of Interest Rate on Stock Prices, Unlocking the Challenging Pathways of Youth Participation in Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development, Pandemic Elections and the Covid-Safe Effect, Assessing the Effects of Regimented Administrative Structure of Education on Pupils Academic Performance and Populism: Utility of its Approaches and the Prospects of the Phenomenon's Resurgence are some of the major practices and concepts examined in these studies. Journal received research submission related to all aspects of major themes and tracks. All the submitted papers were first assessed, by the editorial team for relevance and originality of the work and blindly peer-reviewed by the external reviewers depending on the subject matter of the paper. After the rigorous peer-review process, the submitted papers were selected based on originality, significance, and clarity of the purpose. The current issue will therefore be a unique offer, where scholars will be able to appreciate the latest results in their field of expertise and to acquire additional knowledge in other relevant fields. Editor In Chief Prof Nek Kamal Yeop Yunus, PhD II Journal of Social and Development Sciences (JSDS) Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2021 (ISSN 2221-1152) Editorial Board Nek Kamal Yeop Yunus, Ph. D, University Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia N. Panchanatham, Ph. D, Annamalai University, India R. K. Uppal, International University of Contemporary Studies, USA Ananda Wickramasinghe Ph. D, CQ University, Australia Hai-Chin YU, Ph. D, Chung Yuan University ,Chungli, Taiwan Yapa M W Y Bandara, Ph. D, Charles Sturt University, Australia Chux Gervase Iwu, Ph. D, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa Pratibha Samson Gaikwad, Ph. D, Shivaji University of Pune, India M Azhar Khan, Ph. D, Hokkaido University, Japan Apostu Iulian, Ph. D, University of Bucharest, Romania Rajendra Parsad GUNPUTH, Ph. D., University of Mauritius, Mauritius III Journal of Social and Development Sciences (JSDS) Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2021 (ISSN 2221-1152) TABLE OF CONTENTS Description Pages Title I Editorial II Editorial Board III Table of Contents IV Papers V Effect of Interest Rate on Stock Prices in Ghana 1 Peter Arhenful, Augustine Kwadwo Yeboah, Kofi Sarfo Adjei Unlocking the Challenging Pathways of Youth Participation in Ghana’s Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency 8 Edward Brenya, Dominic Degraft Arthur, Janet Nyarko Pandemic Elections and the Covid-Safe Effect: Incumbents Re-elected in Six Covid-19 Safe Havens 17 John Paull Assessing the Effects of Regimented Administrative Structure of Education on Pupils Academic Performance of Basic Schools in Military Barracks, Ghana 25 Edward Brenya, Dominic Degraft Arthur, Raymond Opoku, Sylvester Atta Andam Populism: Utility of its Approaches and the Prospects of the Phenomenon's Resurgence in America 36 Daniel Abankwa IV Journal of Social and Development Sciences (JSDS) Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2021 (ISSN 2221-1152) PAPERS V Journal of Social and Development Sciences (JSDS) Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2021 (ISSN 2221-1152) Effect of Interest Rate on Stock Prices in Ghana Peter Arhenful1, Augustine Kwadwo Yeboah2 & Kofi Sarfo Adjei3 1&3Accounting and Finance Department, Accra Technical University, Accra, Ghana 2Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, Ho Technical University, Ho, Ghana [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract: The paper assesses the effect of interest rate on stock prices, with emphases on Ghana Stock Exchange; using monthly time series data from July 2007 to December 2019. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test was employed to establish the stationarity properties of the data or otherwise. Using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation technique of Multiple Regression, the results (β = – 0.891, p < 0.05) revealed an indirect association between interest rates and stock prices in the Ghanaian context; which is consistent with the theoretical conclusion that an increase in interest rate results in a decrease in stock prices. Thus, in the light of this finding, it was recommended that policymakers should consider the stock market dynamics due to the significant relationship that exists between the two macroeconomic variables. Keywords: Interest Rates, Stock Prices, Ordinary Least Squares, Augmented Dickey-Fuller Test, Ghana. 1. Introduction Interest rates and stock prices nexus has been the subject of several empirical and theoretical research works among academics, policymakers, economists and investment analysts in recent years. Economic theory postulates a negative correlation between these two macroeconomic variables (interest rates and stock prices); which implies that a rise in interest rate results in a fall in stock prices and vice versa. Higher interest rates as a contractionary monetary policy instrument, negatively affect stock prices owing to the fact that it brings about a fall in the value of stocks, making fixed-income assets more lucrative than keeping alternative stocks. This, therefore, reduces the likelihood for investors to take loans and invest in stocks and thereby decreasing demand for stocks (Teitey, 2019). In addition, a negative relationship has been hypothesized, in economic theory because interest rates affect the operations of business firms and companies. All other things being equal, a rise in interest rate brings about a rise in capital cost. As a result, a firm must put in extra effort to acquire higher earnings if interest rates are high; otherwise, the extra expenses on the additional interest will absorb a higher proportion of the profit. The lower the profit, therefore, the lower the cash flow and hence, the larger the required rate of return for people which invariably affects the company’s stock price. Furthermore, in a situation where interest rates increase to a level that a company might find it hard to honor its financial obligations, the survival of the company would certainly be threatened and for that matter, higher risk premiums would be demanded by investors. This will cause the company’s stock price to decrease further (Stowe et al., 2007). Moreover, the inverse relationship between stock prices and interest rates is explained from the viewpoint that a rise in interest rates raises the interest expenditures of highly geared firms and companies. This reduces cash flows that can be distributed as dividends to shareholders in the future period. Changes in interest rates ultimately influence the extent to which financial assets and liabilities of non-financial firms are estimated on the market. In other words, a higher rate of interest affects the opportunity cost of investing in shares, which makes bonds more attractive. Hence, investors are motivated to substitute share investments with bonds and consequently, causing stock prices to fall (Mwaanga, 2017). Furthermore, the negative association between interest rates and stock prices is explained from the perspective either through the rate of discount or the effect of inflation. According to Choi and Jen (1991), the expected returns on stocks are sturdily linked to the interest rate risk, as well as the market risk. Their findings indicated that the risk of the interest rate for smaller businesses is one of the main sources of portfolio risk for investors; the risk of the interest rate for bigger companies is negative or inverse. Also, the findings indicate that the risk premium of interest rate explains a significant proportion of the difference in projected earnings between the topmost five and the bottom five companies of the New York Stock Exchange. The above notwithstanding, the results of Humpe and Macmillan (2007) also revealed that Japan and United States stock prices are equally related to interest rates indirectly in the long run. Irrespective of the fact that 1 Journal of Social and Development Sciences (JSDS) Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2021 (ISSN 2221-1152) several academicians, policymakers and financial economists have attempted to establish the dynamic